Admission Requirements

Admissions Requirements

Whether you're a College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) student, or a College of Graduate and Extended Studies (CGES) student, CMU will challenge you, and provide opportunities to develop skills that will pay off in your professional journey.

We would love for you to join us and experience an education that gives you more. There are just a few requirements to keep in mind regarding the admission process.

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Incoming Freshmen

To receive unconditional admission to Central Methodist University,
applicants have two pathways:

 1) A high school GPA of 2.75 and follow college preparatory curriculum

2) A high school GPA of 2.5 - 2.74 GPA and 21 ACT or committee approval 

Less than 2.5 GPA and less than 22 ACT requires committee approval

Subject/Units Acceptable Courses Unacceptable Courses

English-4 units

1 unit may be speech, 2 units must focus on writing/composition

English Literature

Speech

Debate

Yearbook

Acting

Theatre

Drama

Business English

Media

Math-3 units

All must be Algebra 1 or above

Algebra 1, Algebra 2

Trigonometry

Calculus

Geometry

Analytical Geometry

Math analysis

Computer Math

Programming

Consumer Math

Prealgebra

Basic Math

Technical Math

Computer Science

Personal Finance

Science-3 units

One unit must be a laboratory course

Earth Science

Biology

Chemistry

Physics

 General Science
Social Science-3 units

World History

American History

American Government

Principles of Democracy

Psychology

Sociology

Economics

 Personal Finance

 

Homeschooled Students

Homeschooled students must submit a valid homeschool
transcript that includes their grade point average, and they may receive unconditional
admission by meeting the criteria established for students graduating from a traditional high school.

 

High School Equivalency

Applicants without a high school diploma may qualify for
admission by passing the test of General Educational Development (GED) with a score at
least 2250 and an ACT composite score of 18 or above (SAT 960 or above).

Transfer Students

Transfer applicants must have a 2.0 or higher GPA for all previously attempted college course work and be eligible to return to the last college attended. Those who do not meet these criteria must present a letter of appeal to the Academic Standards and Admission Committee which will determine whether the student will be admitted.

All transfer applicants must submit official transcripts of their high school records clearly indicating GPA and class rank. Transfer applicants must also submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. These transcripts are part of the student's permanent college record.

Dr. Megan Hess Nursing Scholar (Nursing Program Early Acceptance)

Save your spot in the competitive CMU Nursing program. Every year at least 15 high-achieving high school students are selected as Dr. Megan Hess Nursing Scholars. Scholars who meet the selection criteria of a minimum comprehensive ACT score of 24 and a 3.5 or higher high school GPA are reserved a seat in the next BSNG cohort after they have completed all programmatic pre-requisite courses.

To be able to claim the reserved seat, the individual student must have:

  1. a minimum 3.5 collegiate GPA;
  2. a minimum 3.0 sub-cumulative GPA for BI101, BI204, BI305, CH107 or CH111, and BI305. Labs are required with all science courses except CH107; and
  3. a criminal background check that is negative for felonies; and
  4. While Central Methodist University currently does not require students to be vaccinated for COVID-19, area healthcare providers who provide clinical experience opportunities for health professions students may require the vaccination in order for students to be on their premises. Therefore, all pre-licensure nursing students must be vaccinated for COVID-19. Students seeking an exemption would need to contact CMU's clinical coordinator to receive the process on requesting an exemption. Exemptions from the vaccine are only granted by the clinical facility. 

College of Graduate & Extended Studies

Undergraduate - Transfer Student

Students must have completed 24 hours or more from an accredited college or have an associates degree and have at least a 2.0 GPA in transferable courses. Students with fewer hours apply as first-time freshmen. Official transcripts from all colleges attended must be sent to CMU.

Students with less than a 2.0 grade point average may be considered for admission on a provisional basis. Certain degree-completion programs have additional, specific requirements.

Undergraduate - First Time Students

First-time Freshmen are those who are entering college for the first time or have successfully completed 11 or fewer college credit hours other than dual credit. Official transcripts from all high schools and colleges attended must be sent to CMU as well as ACT or SAT scores.

Accelerated Nursing Program

All ABSN applicants must have completed a minimum of 53 credit hours of required general education and prerequisite coursework prior to being considered for admission to the ABSN Program. See the program requirements for additional information.

Graduate Programs

See your program of interest for the specific admissions requirements for that degree.